The most perfect 1989 Mini in the world
By David Menzies
You’d think a run-of-the-mill Mini purchased back in 1989 would be overdue for a trip to the wrecker’s yard. Unless, of course, we’re talking about Ron Frost’s ruby red Mini 30.
Far from a “daily driver”, Frost’s Mini has precisely 148 miles on the odometer (an average driver would’ve racked up about 200,000 miles in a two-decade timeframe.)
Frost, 78, is a Willand, England car collector and retired mechanic. He apparently likes buying cars but isn’t too keen on actually driving them.
Frost recently told the U.K.’s Western Morning News that his Mini – which he purchased for £5,800 in ’89 – is 100% original. Even the oil in the crankcase is 20 years old (personally, I wouldn’t brag about that point.)
Sill, limited motoring does have its benefits. The car looks as though it has seemingly been kept in a time capsule given that the paintwork is free of any chips, blemishes or scratches. In fact, the car has only been washed twice.
Another upside of not driving the car these past 20 years: Frost’s Mini has more than retained its value. Given that it’s extremely rare (if not impossible) to find an ’89 Mini in such pristine mint condition (perhaps due to the fact that most commuters do indeed average more than 7.4 miles of motoring per year), Frost’s set of wheels has actually appreciated over time. A representative with the British Mini Club says Frost’s Mini would likely fetch £7,000 at auction – £1,200 more than he originally paid for the car back when Driving Miss Daisy won the Oscar for best movie and Milli Vanilli were first caught lip-synching.
In the meantime, Frost continues to occasionally trot out his Mini to the odd car show so that others can gaze upon its timeless perfection. And just to ensure mileage is kept to a minimum, Frost, naturally, transports the Mini via trailer.
Posted by: Steve | 2009-10-08 4:43:57 AM
In 1989 a person could buy a semi-detached house in England for £29,000. At the moment the same house would cost somewhere between £100,000 & £130,000.
Having said that it would be nice to see a rust free original Mini.
Posted by: JD | 2009-10-29 1:35:18 AM
Yeah, I don't think I'd brag about 20 year old oil in the crankcase either. The guy's a retired mechanic, surely he knows that oil viscosity breaks down?
There is a car dealer in Calgary that is trying to sell a 1989 (IIRC) Toyota Supra for $50000. It is extremely low mileage, and I was told by the salesman that the car was bought new, shipoped to Vegas and stored for the last 20 years. Nice car, but $50000? Seems a little extreme. And, considering the price of them new in '89, not a great return on investment. I'd rather have taken the $40000 or so it cost new to invest, and would have doubled (at least) the money in the same time frame. If you're going to actually DRIVE the car and keep it for 20 years, that's one thing, but to just leave it in storage makes no fiscal sense.